it's because they drink Tang instead of coffee

Intel Atom devices can't compete with ARM, soooo

they are moving the device vendors up-scale where they can market the higher performance value against the ARM devices. If they tried to stay on the lower end, ARM would eat them up with the same or better performance, longer battery life, and a cheaper price. By pushing the hardware up the chain some and eliminating the lower end, they'll create the impression(marketing) that those ARM devices aren't in the same category.

While I think this is their only current option, I also think they'll fail since what created the netbook market is the $250 price with good enough performance. So they'll have to make the ARM devices look really really bad compared to the higher end netbooks. We already saw many netbook manufacturers refuse to create identical Linux and Windows XP versions and most likely it was the Microsoft contracts which caused this.

install Suse and then run the XP VM with a real host OS

Novell is supposed to have partnered with Microsoft for virtual machine capability compatibility so Suse should be capable of running Microsofts XP VM. Unless they lied. So if it does, screw Windows 7 and just put Suse on there, run it as the host OS and then run the XP virtual machine in a full screen session or even on a 2nd monitor.

do this and now the business has a host OS they can run for as long as THEY decide is needed and they have a much more responsive virtual machine setup and it looks and acts like XP instead of a half breed mix of and old OS ontop of a patch of a crappy OS( Vista SP3 ). And the other thing is, you only need one antivirus kit and all the apps for XP you already own. If you go with the Windows 7/XP VM bucket, you have to get Windows 7/Vista versions of stuff. There's also no mention of what it's like using MS Office 2000 in XP VM, having the document show up in Windows 7's Documents folder, and then opening that in MS Office Win7. Won't it convert it to the later file format and now not work in MS Word 2000 in the XP VM? Can't wait to see people wondering what's going on and figuring it's more computer magic and voodoo going on.

And I was surprised there was no mention of VMware Fusion with its Unity display mode. That's where the virtual machine applications run seamless on the host desktop.

Windows is squeezed in the middle of Mac and Linux

Microsoft has been pushing against Linux for a few years now with the word that not only is Linux not free, but their Windows provided and integrated experience. The free part is a tough sell in my book but since they do own and control the whole OS and software stack on Windows and they tie everything together to block competition, well they might have something over some parts of Linux OSS packages.

But then they start going after Apple on price and say Windows is cheaper and your paying extra for fluff on the Mac. The problem here is that, like Windows, Apple owns the OS and software stack and also controls the hardware so the integration is pretty darn smooth. Far smoother than anything Microsoft provides.

They can't have it both ways. But, like much of what they say and do, it's lies, more lies, and pretty much 100% marketing rhetoric. One of these days the press and hopefully the public will catch on to it.

all PR

It is always PR from Microsoft and it is PR 7/24. You can tell from their entire history of saying one thing and doing yet another. Friend to open source? Ya, right. Listening to the customer? Ya, right. Did you read how they recently were planning all kinds of ways to stop Intel from migrating the UNIX customers of the large OEM's over to Linux on Intel hardware? And it was not by providing solutions on Windows, it was by leveraging their marketshare and control over the OEMs and their relationships with Microsoft. You know, there were probably threats of increased licensing fees, lost marketing kick-backs, and the standard strongarm tactics they know so well.

MSDN won by dumping

Microsoft did a great job at moving all those development tools at billions in losses to eliminate cross platform tool vendors like Watcom and Borland. At one time even Novell was building a cross platform tool cache but with Microsoft effectively dumping their wares on the market, profits and income sagged for all the other tool vendors.

So it looks like a good job but in reality, does VMware have the kind of financial power and distribution that Microsoft had/has to allow him to do the same at EMC? I doubt it.

which version of Windows to target?

I'm already getting asked which version of Windows to target for testing. Some are starting to hear they need to start testing for Vista but with Windows 7 due in such a short time, they are wondering if they shouldn't try to push this off as long as they can. History is going to show once again that there will be differences between Vista and Windows 7 so what'll be lost or wasted going for Vista now.

My recommendation is usually to get their AJAX based version going ASAP and look at putting the backend software in a virtual machine. There's nothing like a virtual machine to isolate you from the host computers complications. If that's not happening, try to put it off as long as possible no matter what the betas look like. Because what ships has always been a surprise.

he just stated the obvious

What's with the "freaks out" bit in the title? All he seems to say is that it would be foolish to do a rip-and-replace of Windows desktops with Linux desktops without understanding your requirements. We all know that Microsoft has many many locked up protocols and non-standard formats in their documents and their communication interfaces. How could every one be working in Linux compatible software when even Microsoft's own software has problems with this sometimes?

That is a 'gimme' if you know anything about software and computer systems. So maybe this is new to some press people and to some CEOs, CIOs, etc but I don't think it is new to Mr Shuttleworth. It sounds like he is concerned that Linux has reached the point where it is getting quite acceptable and now too many are saying it's great and is an easy replacement for Windows. While true for many users, it is not true for everyone or every business without knowing what you need to transition. Hey, even Vista is not a slam-dunk replacement for Windows XP or Windows 2000 or Windows 98. Makes one want to say, "dah".

who said Android was about going after iPhone types?

From what I've seen, the press is who keeps bringing this up with some trolls following that lead. IIRC, Google brought out Android to open up the mobile phone market to all developers and to open up the networks to those applications. From what I saw, it was about an open platform for developers and they did say they would open up the entire stack IIRC.

So, because they have not flushed out what the published API's will be for Bluetooth, they are still shipping but going to have to do so without a public API. I've not seen anywhere where it said the installed applications will have no Bluetooth capabilities or that an update won't provide public API specs when they are finished. Big deal, it is still 95% the open platform and open network Android was designed to be.

Windows OEM's can not market any Linux based products

if they have a contract with Microsoft, they might sell some Linux but they can't promote it or market it without that contract being reconsidered. And if they have a deal with Microsoft for MS Marketing Dollars then it is even more of a problem for the OEM.

So, Linux and OSS can not and will not grow from the Windows tied OEMs. It will grow from Linux based OEMs, new OEMs, and from Linux embedded devices like the Tivo, Linksys routers, NAS systems, etc. We've already seen the worldwide pressure Microsoft can put on vendors like the OLPC group and how they eventually bend to cripple their product to 'get in line'. Asus is another with their pricing and packaging once they signed a deal with Microsoft.

who is really the target for the ad?

Microsoft has the OEM channels locked up and all of them are pre-loading Vista for consumers so consumers can only be the target if they need reassuring that the problems they are having are ok. Business users are the ones who know more about what and OS is and isn't and they are the ones not taking Vista and their licenses allow them to use XP without extra cost. So businesses seem to be the likely target. Now, is Jerry Seinfeld really going to help business users feel better about using Vista?

We shall see if the ads are anything but comical. As I see it, if it is just a feel good kind of ad, it's just another waste of Microsoft's Windows profits.

conspiracy I tell you

there were too few models before and as they were priced once Windows XP found its way out of the grave and onto the Eee PC, it was easy to see something rotten this way comes. The Linux models were being pushed aside for more Windows XP face time and price advantages. So now we have so many models and so many configurations it becomes legally defendable to be designing system to give Windows XP models retail selling advantages of the resource sipping, cheaper Linux variants. Now if they just don't produce many of the Linux based models they now list, they still get to keep the millions they are likely getting from that other OS vendor to push Windows XP.

yet another reason for the US-DOJ, EU-EC, etc too look into this

something was strange when ASUS came out with their new models but made sure there was MORE hardware for the Linux version and charged more for it. This was enough to make me wonder what kind of deal they had to make with Microsoft since it's not a normal way to sell product. Now this bit about equal production quantities yet higher demand for the Linux version and if there is anything to what others have said about the Linux model not even being listed for ordering while the WindowsXP version is.

Something is rotten here and it sounds like customer choice is being restricted. So send in the clowns once again to look at what Microsoft is up to here.

multi billion dollar company has more server than $10 million foundation?

Wow, who would have thought that Microsoft would have more servers behind their update.microsoft.com domain than a foundation with a handful of full time employees and running on a few million in donated cash? Pretty impressive that such a small company gets compared to such a massive corporation such as Microsoft. But too bad it's just not big a deal.

For something meaningful, how about checking what OS survives updates better? I've only run across one issue with Ubuntu update messing up in 3 or 4 years and that was fixed like a day or two later.

It should also be noted that the Ubuntu update system updated thousands of applications besides just the OS. Microsoft updated only their OS and a handful of Microsoft apps and even then, they have a bad record at not blowing up the OS with the update.

sterling engine for air recirc a better idea

but then this is just a PR gimmick since PV tech is no were near where it has to be for a Prius mounted PV panel to do much but cost more than it saves.

Using a fan to keep the inside air temp down to the level of the outside air temp with would save more than that PV panel is going to save running the AC. Keeping the inside temp down so that AC doesn't have so much heat to remove initially also makes it more comfortable for the occupants too.

This PV panel thing will backfire on Toyota since it's obviously a gimmick and just adds to the cost of the vehicle. I hope this idea doesn't see daylight.

he's now pushing Windows on libraries

His foundation has been backing the push of Microsoft software on libraries around the world and now, as open source seems to really open the doors to these organizations, bill will throw much more of his attention to hooking the worlds libraries on his company's technical disasters. Not really something anybody should really be looking forward to.

remember, bill cares about computers, his wife is the one who cares about the kids.

I'll take a shot

> Bravo, Mike Milinkovich, UDC has TransFixed Vista, for that is ITs Driver into

> Open Sources .... dDeep COde ......Open Space Blogs in a Virtual World

> thought Real.

>

> What Passionate Home Goal Drivers UDC is a Leading Question?

yeah, Mike Mlinkovich, your new feature for tracking users, UDC, is much like its counter part in Windows Vista which is designed to pull Vista into the open source market....source code????......source code is the real blogs of the computer system which many believe is a real world.

Mr Mlinkovich, what is the real reason behind UDC? This question should be of the highest importance.

only for first world kids if that

there's nothing about rebustness( drop tests ) or water and dust infusion capabilities not to mention the power capabilities other than battery choices. We all must have heard by now that story of how Intel put the Classmate PC in a 3rd world classroom and there were not allowed to take them home and the best part was where Intel had to install a diesel generator outside the class room because the batteries didn't last long enough because of intermittent electricity at the school.

This is a marketing gig and nothing more. And as far as being a competitor to the OLPC, Intel doesn't even meet the hardware design specs of the XO let alone have educational software and collaboration designs. There is no comparison unless you just look at the fact they both use the term "laptop" and they both have a handle.

ISO to languish because new MS members are not voting any more

so now that Microsoft paid to get is MS Office file format declared a "standard", the ISO is now left with dozens and dozens of voting members who are no longer involved because they joined last year just to get MS OOXML passed. Because these members are not voting on any of the other ISO projects, many of them can not get out of committee since a certain percentage of voting committee members must actually vote.

*So nice job screwing up a long time public service org Microsoft

*Nice work to those Microsoft business partners who bellied up to the table for Microsoft and joined the ISO committees just to vote on MS OOXML

*And nice work press corp for not sending flares up to the general public telling them how Microsoft is destroying an international standards organization just to get a stamp on their already outdated MS Office file format.

justify the Microsoft product?

"If you want PHP hosting, Apache is your friend, however rapidly IIS is becoming just as friendly, and if you need asp.net *and* PHP, who you gonna call?"

Because using yesterdays technology in hopes the Lord Master(MS) will someday make it better is just what you want to bet your business on.

FYI, Microsoft will most always be catching up since their policy is first to react to threats and secondly to re-react to threats. So what developers get from MS is typically attempts to catch up to what the current market leaders are doing. Is there risk going with Microsoft's late-to-the-table solutions? YES because it is often constantly changing and the goal typically is designed around developer and platform lockin.

And why would someone attempt to justify the Microsoft product or platform? Are they being forced to use only Microsoft solutions so they must try to justify their caged existence? Very interesting indeed.

better solution, Linux with older WinXP in a virtual machine

If you are going to thank Microsoft for the crappy Vista OS with the purchase of another Microsoft OS, atleast put a secure and modern OS on the system and run Microsoft's old OS in a virtual machine. If you've got enough RAM to run Vista at all, you've got enough for Linux and the older version of Windows to run at the same time.

This also lets you control the internet access Windows would have with a quick click of the ethernet icon in VMware. It effectively removed the ethernet controller from Windows so you don't have to touch Window's settings. You won't have to worry about Microsoft Word phoning home or the latest VBA script hacks.

not much mentioned on education reform

Maybe Bill is saving the bashing of the OLPC project for the meeting. After all, we all know that donations to schools and libraries restricting their choices to Windows and only Windows is good for everyone. Well, Bill and the Bill and Melinda Gates Froundation seems to think so.

But Gates sure has fooled the world into thinking he actually knows more than he really does about technology. Or he's fooled them into forgetting that everything outside of their monopoly have been financial failures.

I can't wait to read about what tonic he ends up talking about this time.

probably for white box vendors

Microsoft Office as a platform?

so are they worried they'll lose their Windows platform position so the next best monopolistic hammer to use is the MS Office monopoly? That's what I figure.

Look at how they are handling the MS OOXML standardization process. Busing in their business partners, paying for their ISO membership fees, and providing them with the answers to the questions they'd be asked all point to the same old Microsoft. Microsoft Office as a platform is a backup strategy and a poor one at that.

Balmer is confused

on the one hand he says that there is no money in open source software( the GPL means something about no soda pop ), then on the other hand he is willing to pay $44 billion for Yahoo!. Yahoo is built on open source software and makes money at it/with it.

So what next? Steve runs for a political office since he's so good at telling his immediate audience what his current truthiness is?

another way for them to lose money

Nowhere in Microsofts statements does it say how they will magically make a profit from this purchase. There's plenty there to say there's stuff like "increasingly exciting set of solutions for consumers" and "competitive choice while better fulfilling the needs of customers" etc. blah blah.

When it comes down to it, Microsoft loses more money on everything it's got but its Windows desktop/server OS and MS Office. They lose more annually than most countries annual budgets. A few billion each year and somehow, this purchase is going to make them a profit by combining it with their other loser projects?

Someone else said it, they have been willing to spend billions annually to make sure any threat to their monopoly desktop OS is kept on track. New paradynes be damned, the desktop OS is the ONLY way to go. Says Microsoft and their mighty dollar.

This purchase is to lock those yahoo group users onto Windows by locking they technology used onto MS Internet Explorer. Same goes for everything else YaHoo offers. I really don't think the people really want to see a Microsoft advertising monster. It is bad enough how they push Windows and deny access to others by blocking the distribution channels with financial dis-incentives. This is not a good deal for anybody but some Yahoo stock holders. And even then, Yahoo has some good tech and could still grow quite nicely if they can figure out an execution plan. Giving up and selling out is copping out.

first statement PC, 2nd just PR and laughable

Their first statement said that if the market/customers play it out to a Blu-ray win, then they will accept that. The second statement, being after the first, pretty much said screw the consumer, we are backing HD-DVD and we will do so at all costs.

The first statement was surprisingly fresh coming from a Microsoft person. The follow up statement is more what I expected. After all, Microsoft has invested millions into fighting off Blu-ray and millions more promoting HD-DVD. They surely can't stand seeing any Sun Java technology winning in the market and that goes for Blu-ray. Any Java success is threat to their developer control and platform protection.

changing out the Blu-Ray

re: From the ODF

it does not matter what the ODF says or doesn't, what is going on here is that Microsoft is purchasing it's way into the ISO to become a public standard. As bad/closed/proprietary/crappy as MS-OOXML is, they are corrupting the ISO organizations structure such that they can just pay companies to join the local ISO org and vote for Microsofts MS-OOXML.

Doesn't matter if ODF exists or does not and the ISO needs to stop the process now and stop it in its tracks. They have to know this is going on and the steering committee should end this now before it is too late.

why put any os on them

get them to the schools with one LTSP server and use those old computers as clients. We've just solved the OS licensing problem, alot of support problems, no hard drive means less power usage, and it can be configured, reconfigured, and customized any which way you can think of.

maybe the key flyover is their 'invention'?

Just a guess but since virtual keyboards have been around for a long time now, my guess is that they have patented the flyover which shows what key your finger/pen is pressing. Since the keyboard keys are much smaller than a normal keyboard, ones fingers often cover more than one key and the flyover shows what key you really pressed without having to look away from the keyboard area and over to the text input area.

So much of what gets patented these days is something that an engineer , worth his/her weight in salt, can figure out as a solution to the problem.

tie touchscreen keyboard to knock/vibe control for feedback(pat pending)

not sure if the current 'vibe' control is fine tuned enough for just a single knock but a good first step would be as short a buzz as possible on key presses. Then, get FIC to mod the vibe control for a knock pulse before the consumer release and they'll probably win over some customers and maybe the press with a touchscreen keyboard with feedback.

In the meantime, someone who's got one of these should implement it before Microsoft patents it.